Candid B
by N. Risa
Summary: In which Buttercup and Butch are the stars of their own story. [1/5?]


A/N: This is a specially gifted and tailored story. The style is a bit different. Mild swearing may be present.

* * *

**1.**  
Buttercup wasn't the cutest girl he knew; wasn't the prettiest, smartest nor bravest, but she was tough.

So he's watching her on the bleachers one day — the way her loose shirt cling to her body due to sweat — and for some reason, his stomach seemed to flop.

He's confused so he focuses on the game, which was good because he's a pro a cheering. A pompom or two and he'd replace Blossom as cheer captain. Anyway, so at the peak of all the excitement, new girl Se-Ha Seung had the raw audacity to give Buttercup a shitty pass and she almost earned a nice shiner for that screw up. Naturally, when the crowd was in worried 'oohs,' Butch had been one of the few laughing their asses off since drama was a hidden highlight of the game.

**2.**  
By the way, Buttercup was a volleyballer. He was used to seeing her in short pleated skirts or gripping tights. It did nothing for him… usually. But today, today was different.

He didn't understand it.  
Couldn't.  
_Wouldn't_.

**3.  
** And his innards were burning an ungodly degree every time he'd stare at her.

The usual shit most people barely noticed, he did today. Why? Well, the boy's eyes were glued. For an awfully long time one might add, and he was focused. Hands clasped under his chin as he stared. Could've even been mistaken for a recruiter if he had some age on him.

**4.  
** Her forehead glistened like a dew-dripped flower. Her petals, as beautiful as it was deadly.

Almost lived up to her name.

Please. Had Buttercup known Butch'd been thinking such raw 16-year-old thoughts, he'd probably realized she'd long surpassed her name; both in beauty and in spirit.

**5.  
** So she got the trophy

— _well_, her team did. And they were all trying to figure which part of the mall they could get both pizza and kale salads. At sixteen, kale was the over glorified leaf which gave them a free pass to eat whatever the hell they wanted without regret. And despite the team hating its very nature, it was tradition to eat or juice the heck out of it before and after each match.

**6.  
** Buttercup'd sprained her hand during the match…

And had the gall to act as if it was nothing. She and Butch weren't particularly close, but he was almost too good at sniffing out her lies.

**7.  
** Her eyes perked up.

His Frame moving closer to the parking lot, the trophy being held by their captain... aka the girl who got Butch suspended after he'd called her a dumb fuck.

The girl hissed, her eyes rolling to whites as she said something nasty under her tongue, but he was more interested in talking to Buttercup…

…And she was more interested in catching up with Boomer.

**8.**  
Boomer wasn't the brightest star in the sky, but his grades and selective perceptiveness made up for his major shortcomings.

And he nodded and smiled talking about how eager he was to see some girl who frequented his favourite diner.

Track and tennis player, well... Butch couldn't help but be impressed by the lanky little shit. But he had the balls to cut Buttercup off midsentence and Butch couldn't help but scream his respect by a thankful nod.

Pissed, she turned to face him —_[Butch that is]_ —, his face a bit red from feeling caught. "What do you want?" Her scowl tempting him to pinch her cheeks.

**9.**  
Butch never dated...

Like ever!

And he'd liked a couple girls in the past, but he never felt the urge to advance from the _crush _stage.

Butch is confused.  
And seeing her, all changed and smelling nice made his stomach feel all queasy and mushy again.

He couldn't place why.  
Didn't want to.  
Refused to.

Because he knew exactly why, and major denial was the game he chose to play.

**10.**  
He tagged along with the volley ball squad.

And they were at some fancy pizzeria with their boyfriends, best friends and a few other strays that kids their age called 'too cool to ignore'.

Like that foulmouthed Brick who so happen to be a very good buddy of Butch's…. and he was chatting up a storm with the girls because he loved it when they complimented his hair.

**11.**  
Butch wondered what possessed him to stick around.  
Buttercup was too busy gushing with her teammates to even notice Butch's presence and he'd stupidly been sitting with the worst part of the group.

Aka, next to Mary... the girl he'd called a dumb shit last week when he got out of suspension.  
And next to Jeff, the washed-up middle school footballer who couldn't take a hint.

**12.**  
Butch got jealous.

Buttercup was laughing up a storm and Brick was texting as usual... who? Only God knew, but he was smiling like an idiot, so it could have either been a party or a girl.

**13.**  
Her voice made him giddy inside.

The way she relived her game in simple words made him swell with pride. Their eyes met, once, twice, and at the fourth instance, she realised something was different about him today. His eyes were never that dewy and he was _never_ that attentive.

**14.**  
Her face heat up.

Didn't know why.  
Didn't know when.

**15.**  
She stumbled on her words.

Cat got her tongue.  
Heck, she nearly choked on that bland kale she and her team always ate…

…And he'd been there, cackling.

**16.**  
He had to say it.

When the pizza was done and the milkshakes were empty, that's when the mini vans, pickup trucks and SUVs started their roaring.  
Butch knew time was escaping.  
Butch knew it was time to act.

**17.  
**Butch had to be bold.

A nobody with a beanie wasn't going to steal his sliver of hope. Buttercup was too kind to shut him the fuck up and the boy was too dense to realize she wasn't into his cheesy pick up lines.

**18.**  
Well, Butch never had a girlfriend before.

Didn't know how to ask, what to say or when to say it.  
Heck, the boy never seriously thought about dating until now.

But he did it anyway.

**19.**  
"I like going out with me."

Yeah.  
He said _**that**_.

So now she's confused, turning her eyes from the boy to squint uneasily at Butch. The boy scratched the hair under his hat, his lips getting ready to form words Butch had _no _intention of hearing.

"Dude, get fucking lost!"

Swears always made Butch feel cool.  
And since his dad had the worst of tongues, he never corrected him for using them at home. Sentence enhancers were welcomed in the Jojo household, and if anyone were to dare scold Butch for using them, they'd have to deal with Daddy Jojo.

Swears also made his ruff voice more intimidating.  
His glare was one with rumours attached and Butch's resting face was never a smiling one.

**20.**  
Buttercup was relieved.

She was thankful for Butch's aura.  
She was thankful for his company.

**21.**  
"Right B., so as I was saying,"

Butch was always confident.  
It usually spiked when he was mean.  
It usually spiked when he gained power over another.

It made him feel extraordinary.  
It made him feel like a God.

But you know what he liked most?

People  
who  
fucking  
stood up for themselves.

And Buttercup was over feeling grateful after seeing that cheesy grin on his face.

**22.**  
Buttercup was squinting.

Be it the sun, or just how fucking dumb Butch was behaving.  
He started to feel uneasy, the way she wasn't catching the mood he was trying to set.

**23.**  
Butch Jojo wasn't romantic.

He watched maybe three rom-coms and Clueless.  
That's it.

**24.**  
But Butch had to try again.

Why?  
Because today was different.  
She was different.

Well…. Not really, but, she just…

Butch just had to say it.

**25.**  
"Go out with me?"

"Excuse me?"

"Is that a yes?"

Honestly, it could have - _should_ have gone better.  
He was sweating, she was confused, and most his words had been hitched in his throat.

**26.**  
Butch Jojo was cute.

Buttercup had noticed that a while ago… two… three years, give or take? But the idea of them dating hadn't once crossed her mind.

**27.**  
"Come again?"

She was understandably in disarray. The whole situation was weird and she was worn the fuck out.  
She was wearing overalls.

Denim.  
Short. Half unbuckled.

Ripped.

She looked _good_ in Butch's eyes.  
He's seen her in that get up already.  
Teased her about it before.

But today she just looked…  
…**good**.

_And he wore __**plaid**__._  
Because it smelt clean.  
Because he barely ever wears it.  
Because he thought it looked corny.  
Because his mom bought it.

So it had dawned on him that he wasn't looking his best.  
His jeans were over worn.  
His kicks were three seasons ago.  
He feels like the morning after.

**28.**  
Buttercup is twirling her hair.

Realisation kicks in.  
She remembers her unwashed hair.  
She hopes her body spray over powers.

"Like in … as a date?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"A date, as in, a _date_ date? Or just as… you know. You wanna hang out or something."

Now she feels stupid because he isn't saying anything. And he just stares at her, and the crust crumbs at the side of her lips. And he snickers at how cute she is at times. And he wonders why his point isn't getting through her head.

**29.**  
It dawns on Butch that he's a freaking idiot.

He slaps his forehead and his lips begins to twitch.  
His words made no sense to neither of them.

Either she didn't hear, or it all became jumbled.

**30.**  
"Are you seeing anybody?"

He already knew the answer.

"No."

"Then can you see me?"

Butch is an idiot.  
He knows it.  
Buttercup knows it.

But neither of them seems to care.

So she smiles.  
Because Butch is cute.

Because Butch is intriguing.

"You're standing right in front of me."

And she's smiling.  
But not for long. Her dad's been blowing the car horn. And she's been ignoring his honking long enough for Butch to get his confession out.

**31.**  
She can't wait.

Not anymore.

She couldn't.  
Wouldn't.  
Shouldn't

So she beats him to the punch. On some girl power shit or whatever. And he smiles at it because:

["Yes."]

Buttercup ended up asking him out.  
And now he gets to tell everyone that she's _super_ into him.


End file.
